Braiding machine



. 1 1,636,660 Julyxs,, 1927. AQHOPKINS v BRAIDING MACHINE Original Filed April 23, 1926 i Sheets-Sheet 1 July 1927. A. c. HOPKINS BRAIDING MACHINE Original Filed April 23. 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 2 N L m l A l Rwm Q 0 Q fi mm P O G o z Q N .n w

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A. c. HCPKINS BRAIDING MACHINE Original Filed April '23. 1926 v 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 IN V/fNTOR Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATE-S PATEN orricag anrnuza c. norms,

or nuns, ncmoamassronoa 'ro' lanolin. auxmmn -courm, or mus, norma s Y 1 Application filed April-28, me, man at. 10am. Bennie Jaaaary I, 10:1.

My present improvements relate to the type of machine illustrated and described in my application for Letters Patentfiled July" 24, 1925, Serial No. 45, 8l2.

The main objects of the invention are: 'First, to provide. an improved braidin machine by means of which a plurality o strips or elements may be simultaneously braided or bonded together. c 7' Second, to provide an improved braiding machine which is of very large capacity an I adapted to form one or more braids or strips of wire strands at high speed.

Third, to provide an improved braiding machine in which there are relatively few movable parts and few'reciprocating parts.

Objects pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation of my invention will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims. p

A structure embodying the features of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which: I s

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view'of a machine embodying the features of my invention, parts being broken away for convenience in illustration. a I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section one line corresponding to line 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 4. y 7 it i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of the braider units.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the guide roller brackets for the nonshiftable strands.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the shifter members, the guide rollers being omitted therefrom. c a

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the formin and killing rolls looking from the left of ig. 8 with certainof the supporting Darts omitted. Fig. Sis adetail section on a line corresponding to line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing details of the killing rolls.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the bobblns.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating supported by t body ing with the gears '8.

' the relation of the rotatingshifting and nonshiftingstrand's and also the adaptation of the machine for making a plurality of stripe at the same time.

Figs. 11 and 12 are illustrations showing adaptations of the machine for making a plurality of strips of the same or a diflerent' supports for the annular gears 8 y means I "of which the braider heads, are driven. These annular gears are. held upon the rollers 7 b means of retaining rollers 9 disposed at t e to thereof, these rollers being e arms 10 andjll mounted on the frame and tween thegears 8 p I These gears are both inmesh with the gear 8' on the shaft '8" which is provided with a beveled gear 8' meshin with the gear 12 on the vertical shaft 13 w ch is connected to the driving shaft 14' by beveled rs 15. -This shaft14 is connected to the riving pulley 16 bymeans of the clutch 17. The braiderflheads are mounted on the frame members 2 and 3,- these braider heads comprising platedike body members 18'havmg ting between the members 2 and 3 and connected by members have slot-like throats. 21 therein extending from the cross pieceand opening. at the edges-of the body members. Segmental complementary ways 22. ,are formed the inner way members 24 mounted upon these body members or head plates. The bobbin carriers 25, are'mounted in these ways and provided withsegmental gears 26 coact- The gears 8 being downwardly projectingportions 19 fita oentral'cross piece 20. These by the outer way members 23 and projecting upwardly bethese bobbin carriers, each bobbin being provided with a tensionmeans comprising the shoe 28 which is urged against the grooved friction drum 29 on the bobbin, the shoe being urged against the drum by means of the spring pressed arm 30'whic is pivoted at 31, the spring 32 being adjusted by means of the screw 33.

The front frame member '2 is provided with a segmental way 34. Shifters-35 are,

provided With-rollers 36' traveling in these ways and with'rollers 37 engaging the rear sides of the frame member 2 as shown 1n Fi 3. a p

The several shifters are connected by the shifter bar 38 which is connected by the link 39110 a reciprocating slide 40 controlled by the. cam 41 on the shaft 14, the drive being thus synchronized so that the operation of the shifter is properly timedrelative to the rotation of the braider head members.

7 A plurality of fixed bobbins 42.are mounted on the hangers 6, the gathering roll 43 being disposed centrally relative to the arc formed-by these bobbins 42. Guide rollers 44 ide the strands from the several fixed bob ins to thisaglathering roll.

From the ga erin'g roll apart of the strands, designated by the numeral 45, pass 7 to the fixed guide rollers '46 on the support ing arms 47 .which project forwardly from the frame member 3 so that these strands are guided into the threats 21 and into a central. position or close to the cross piece 20 so thatas the bobbin carriers revolve the strands 48 running from the bobbins 27 are carried -or rotated around the strands45.

Theyfare also carried or rotated around the shifting strands 49 which pass from the gathering roll to the guide rollers 50 on the shifters 35.1 These strands 49 are shifted "alternately from one throat 21 to an adjacent throat so that this group, of strands is alternateliengaged by e rotating strands between t epair of heads through which it is shifted.

In Fig. 10 I illustrate are machineof, this aplplicatlon set up to simultaneously produce a ve-strand. strip having two fixed or 'non- .shiftable strands, the machine then being threaded up to utilize two non-shifting strands, two rotary strands and one shifting strand for'one strip, and for the other strip two non-shifting strands, five shifting strands and six rotating strands. .These maybe arrangedin any combination de-- siredwhich is one of the great advantages of my-im roved machine.

, From t e mechanisms justdescribed the invention ma strands pass to'the forming roll 51 to which they are guided by the rollers 52 and from this forming roll they pass through a set From the killing rolls the strand passes to thetake ofi' ca stan' 58.

Machines embo ying the features of this be operated at very high speed, there eing fewreciprocating parts. As stated, the? machine is readily adapted for makingstripsof a different number of strands simultaneously if desired which greatly adds to? the usefulness and value,

of the machine.

I have not attempted to illustrate various adaptations and set-ups possible as I believe the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my 1m rovements as may be desired. v

aving thus described my invention what I claim as newrand desire to secure byLetters Patent is: v a

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame com rising front and rear segmental frame'mem rs, the front a frame member having a se mental shifter way in the inner side thereo gear supportingrollers mounted on said frame members, oppositely driven annular bobbin driving gears carried by said rollers, braider head members mountedwon said frame members and having opposed slot-like throats, said br'aider head members bein providedwith complementary bobbin carrler ways, bobbin carriers mounted in said ways and provided with bobbins and with segmental gears co actin with said annulardriving gears, a forming roll disposed centrally relative to said braider heads, a pluralit of fixed bobbins disposed in an are, a gat ering roll disposed centrally relative to said fixed bobbins and ;head.v members and over which the.

strands are led from said fixed bobbins, shifters provided with rollers having-horizontal axes traveling in said shifter way and rollers having vertical axes traveling on the opposite side. of the frame member, said shifters being provided with guide pulleys for guiding the shifting strands from said gathering roll to said throats, means for actuating said shifters in synchronism with said bobbin carriers, and brackets on the rear segmental frame member's and provided with pairsof ide pulleys for guiding nonsiftable stran s to projeot below the front frame member to guide the non-shifting strands from said. gathering roll to said throats. .f I I a 2. In a. machine of the class'described, the

combination of a frame comprising front front frame member having a segmental in said ways and provided with bobbins,

shifter'way in the inner side thereof, gear shifters provided with rollers coacting'with supporting rollers mounted von said frame said-way and with rollerscoacting with the members, oppositely driven annular bobbin pp t e f fi l-' fr m Said drivin gears carried b said rollers, braider shifters b g p ov ded wi h rol e s for 7.0 head members mounte on said framem guiding the strands tosaid throats, means bers and having opposed slot-like throats, for actuatin said shifters synchronized said braider head members being provided Wi h he bobbin carrier driving means, and with complementary bobbi car ier ways, guide brackets mounted on one of said frame bobbinv carriers mounted in said ways and memb r to rojec below. the braider head 16 provided with bobbins and with segmental e s 2 11' p v d d wi gu l r gears coacting with said annular -driving whereby non-shifting strands are guided to gears,aformingrolldisposed-centrally,relae i r fl v I. tive to sald raider heads,a plurality of fixed A structure of the class described com- 15 bobbins disposed in an farc, a-gathering roll p g e se mental frame m be vi g a 80 disposed centrally relative tonsaidfixed bobeg ntal lifter "Way in one side thereof, bins and head-members and over which the h members mounted in n arc n 'h ving stra d a l d f id fi d b bbi alined throats, bobbin carriers rotatably shifters provided with rollers having horimounted 011 s h m m r an pr zontal axes traveling in aid shifter way and vided with bobbins, means for driving said 85 rollers having vertical axes traveling, on the Carriers continuously n 1 direction opposite. side of the frame member, said 111011 to all m, Shifters P d with shifter b ing vid d ith id ll rollers-havin horizontal axes coac'tin'g with for guiding the shifting strands from sa1d Said y an w t having V idal th i ll t id th t d means f axes engaging the opposite side of said way 00 actuating said shifters 1n synchronism with member, z ber'conneotin Said h aid bob in car i r 7 i I ers, and means for "actuating sai shifter bar 3. In a machine of th class described,-the 1n synchronism with the rotation of said combination of a frame comprising front bobbin Carriers i v and r ar g nt l fr b gear 7 .6. in a structure of the class described, the 06 supporting rollers mounted on said frame comblnaqtion of t p r l yof b l ni members, oppositely driven annular bobbin comprislng e f m bfi W h l ne carrier driving gears carried by said rollers, throats, said head members being arranged braider head ember mountedhn id' in the arc of a circle, a take-off means inframe members and having opposed slot-like u g 91 ng r011 d p feentrelly throats, said braider head members being W to a head membe$ bobbin provided with complementary bobbin carrotatably mounted n Said he mrier ways, bobbin carriers mounted in said P d h b means ways and provided with bobbins and with mg Said bo bi i o ly n n di- 40 segmental gears coacting with said annular 1 fi d shifters'o rativ ly 'a so- 105 driving gears, a forming roll disposed cenclatedwlth said h e erslfor shifting trally relative to said braiderheads, aplua Strand m th throat of One-head rality of fixed bobbins disposed in an arc, ber to that of an adjacent headmember, a a gathering roll disposed centrally relative P y f bobbins p d in e to saidfixed bobbins and head members and are of 1 a g ng r 11 disposed cen- 11o .nvel which the strands are led from said trally relative thereto andto said braider fixed bobbins, shifters mounted on the rear h' and hl g' guide m n frame member, said shifters bein provided P0 t0 gu t to l e throa s with guide pulleys for guiding t e shifting of 531d head ,members t Strands being tr d irony id th i u, t id passed from saidgatherin'g roll to said shift- 115 throats, means for actuatin said shifters iners and Said guide means, an coflcting synchronism with said bob in carriers, and P p p m n f H brackets mounted on the rear segmental 7. In a structure'of the'class described, the frame member and provided with pair of combination of a plurality of braider units id ll f idi hift bl comprising head members with alined 12g) strands to project below tbe front fra throats, a take-off means including a formmemb r to guide the no hifting t d ing roll disposed centrally relative to said from said gathering roll to said'throats. head members, bobbin, carriers rot-atably- 4. A structure of the class described commounted on said head members and proprising a'pair of segmentalframe members, vided with bobbins, means for driving said one of said frame members having a segbobbins continuously in one direction, strand mental shifter way therein, head members shifters operati-vely'associated with'said head having al'inedthroats mounted on said frame members for shifting a strand from the 7 members and provided with complementary throat of one head member to that of an 5 bobbin carrier ways, bobbin carriers mounted adjacenthead member,,a plurality of fixed bobbins, a atherin'g roll, and non-shifting strand guide means disposed to guide a strand to selected throats of said head members, the strands being passedfrom said gathering roll to said'shiftersand said guide means, all coacting for the purpose specified,

mem ers, strand shifters/operatively asso-' ciated with said head members for shifting strands from the throat of one head member to that ofadjace'nt headmembers, means for guiding non-shifting strands-to selected throats, a plurality of fixed bobbins arranged in segmental series, a gathering roll over which the strands are passed from said fixed bobbins to said strand shifters, 1 and nonshifting strandgnide means disposed centrally of said seriesof fixed bobbins and said head members. i

9. A structureof the classdescribed comrising head members having alined throats,

obbin carriers rotatably/ mounted on said head members and provided with bobbins, meansfor/drivingsaid bobbin carriers continuously in one direction, a take-off means, strand shifters operativel associated with said head members for shi tingstrands from the throat of one head member to that of members,

adjacent'head members, means for guiding;

non-shiftin strands, to; selected throats, a pluralityof fixed bobbins, and a gathering roll over which the strands are passed from said fixed bobbins. to said strand shifters and said non-shifting strand guide means.

I 10.. A structure of the class described comprising front and rear se mental frame head 'members aving alined throats mounted on said frame members,

- bobbin carriers rotatably mounted von said head membersgand pro'vided'with bobbins, shifters reciprocatingly mounted on the front segmental frame member and provided with rollers for guiding the shifting strands to said throats, means for actuating said shifters synchronized with the bobbin carrier driving means, and non-shifting strand guide means .mountedon the rear frame member to projectbelow the head members for guiding non-shifting strands to selected throats. 1

, 11. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of front and rear segmental frame members, head members having alined throats mountedon said frame members,

bobbin carriers 'rotatably .mounted sociated with said head members to shift a strand from the throat of one head member to that of an adjacent head. member, and non-shifting strand guide means for guiding strands to said throats.

13. In astructure of the class described,

the combination of braider units compgising head members with 'alined throats, bbin carriers rotatably mounted on said head I members and provided with bobbins, means for drlving said bobbin carriers, strand shifting means for shifting a strand from the throat of one head member to. the other" synchronized with the rotation of the bobbin carriers, and means for guidingnon-shifting strands to the throats of the head members. 1-1. In a structure of the class described,

the combination of braider units comgrising head membershaving alined throats, obbin carriers rotatably mounted on said head members and provided with bobbins, means for driving said bobbins'continuously in one direction, a plurality of strand shifters o ratively associated with said head mem rs to shift a strand from the throat of one head member to that of an adjacent head member, and non-shifting strand guide means for guiding strands to certain of said throats.

15. In a structurb of the class described,

the combination of braider units comprising head members with alined throats, bobbin carriers rotatably mounted on said head members andprovidedwith bobbins, means for driving said bobbincarriers, strand sifting'means'for shifting a strand from the throat of one head member to that of an adjacent head member synchronized 'with'the rotation of the bobbin carriers,"and means for guiding non-shifting strands to at least one of the throats. j

16. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a plurality of braider units comprising head members with alined throats, bobbin carriers'rotatably mounted on'said head members and provided with bobbins, means for driving said bobbin carriers, strand shifting meansfor shiftin a strand from thelthroat of one head mem 'r to that of an adjacent head membersynchronized with the rotation of the bobbin car- 1,ese,eeo

18. In a machine of the class described,

the combination of a forming means, a plurality of bobbins traveling in circuitous paths, means for driving said bobbins continuousl in one direction, a plurality of strand shifters adapted to alternately carry shifting strands into and out of the paths of adjacent bobbins, and means for guiding non-shiftin strands within the paths of selected bobbms.

19. In a machineof the class described, the combination of a forming means, a plurality of bobbins traveling in circuitous paths, means for driving said bobbins continuousl in one direction, a plurality of strand s ifters adapted to alternately carry shi'ltingstrands into and out of the paths of adjacent bobbins, and means for guiding non-shitting strands within the paths of one or more of said bobbins.

20. A structure of the class described, comprising bob'bins traveling in' circuitous paths, means for driving said bobbins continuously in one direction in said circuitous paths, a strand shifter operatively associated with said bobbins for shifting a strand alternately into the circuitous paths of said bobbins, means for actuating said shifter in synchronism with said bobbins, and means for guiding non-shifting strands into the paths of said bobbins.

21. In a machine of the class described, comprising a strand forming means, a plurality of strand supply means delivering strands to said forming means, each of said strand supply means traveling in an independent circuitous path, means for imparting continuous circuitous movement to said strand supply means, strand shifting means whereby strands are guided into cooperating relation with said strand supply means 5 cuitous paths,

supply means,

and successivel brought into and out of the circuitous pat s of said strand "'su ply means, and means for guiding non-shii in strands into the circuitous paths of selected strand means.

22. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a strand forming means, of a plurality of strand supply means driven continuously in one direction in cira plurality of strand shifters movable in paths intersecting the circuitous paths of the said strand supply means wherethe shifter. strands are alternately brought into the paths of adjacent strand and means for guiding nonshlfting strands into the circuitous paths of certain of said strand supply means.

23. In braiding mechanism, strand supply means movable in a closed circuit, means for imparting movement thereto in said circult, means for guiding a strand within the circuitous path of the strand supply means, additional strand guiding means movable in a path intersecting the circuitous path of the strand supply means, and means for shifting the second strand guiding means into and out of the path of the strand supply means.

24. In braiding mechanism, a plurality of strand supply means, each movable in an independent circuit, means for imparting continuous movement thereto, means for guiding a strand within the circuitous path otf one of the strand supply means, a lural- 1 y of strand guiding means move is in paths intersecting the circuitous paths of ad- 7 jacent strand supply means, and means for shifting the last mentioned strand guiding means in succession into position in the paths of the strand supply means intersected thereby.

25. In braiding mechanism, a plurality of strand supply means, each movable in an independent closed circuit, means for imparting continuous movement thereto, a plurality of substantially fixed strand guiding means for guiding strands within paths of certain of said strand supply means, a plurality of strand guiding means movable in paths intersecting the circuitous aths of adjacent strand supply means, an shifting the movable strand guiding means alternately int-o positions within the paths of adjacent strand supply means.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR C. HOPKINS.

means for 

